A Jefferson Parish grand jury handed up an indictment Thursday charging a Kenner man who escaped a murder charge nearly a decade ago in the death of an aspiring Westwego rapper on Easter Sunday. Aaron "Mug" Martin, 27, is charged with second-degree murder and felon in possession of a firearm. He is accused of shooting Brian Banks Jr. on April 8.

KPDAaron "Mug" Martin

A witness told the Kenner Police Department that Martin approached Banks in the 600 block of 27th Street, "yelling and screaming" before pulling out a pistol and shooting him several times, according to a police affidavit.

Martin allegedly then stood over Banks and shot him again, and then tried to shoot another person, according to the affidavit. That person escaped unharmed only because Martin's pistol jammed, police said. Martin was booked with attempted second-degree murder but was not indicted with the attempt.

Banks, 21, was shot six times and pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Under the stage name "Lil CEO," he performed at clubs and daiquiri shops, and had posted some rap videos online, his family has said. Banks previously lived in Kenner and still had friends there, his family said.

Judge Ross LaDart of the 24th Judicial District Court set Martin's bond Thursday at $600,000. Martin is held in the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna.

Brian Banks Jr.

Martin was barred from possessing firearms because of convictions for cocaine possession and second-offense marijuana possession. The Jefferson Parish district attorney's office used those convictions as the underlying offenses for his gun possession charge.

He is no stranger to murder charges. He and Robert Causey, now 31, were indicted with second-degree murder in 2003, in the death of Keddrick Smith, 28, of New Orleans. Smith was sitting in the driver's seat of his car when he was shot in the head near Louis Armstrong International Airport. A witness told Kenner police that Martin and Causey ran from the car after the shooting.

But because of witness problems, the prosecutors' case unraveled. Martin pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to manslaughter in exchange for a 5-year prison sentence. Causey, the shooter, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to seven years in prison.

If convicted of second-degree murder, Martin would spend the rest of his life in prison with no chance of probation, parole or suspended sentence.

Paul Purpura can be reached at ppurpura@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3791.